Pneumatic control device.



L. F. GOODSPEBD.

PNBUMATIO ooNTnoL nnvlon. APPLICATION FILED UGA), i909.

' Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wlTnEsEs mven'ron' we @Fe/M L. P. GOODSPEEDl PNBUMATIO CONTROL DEVICE.

APPLxoATIoN Hmm A119. 9, 1999.

' 1,0045010.V t Patented sept. 26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-BHBBT 2.

`WITNESSES INVENTOR je' v tba/GWW' Uni-TED STATES ISATENTOFFICE- A LELAND F. eoonsrnnn; or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AssIeNoIi or cnn-HALF 'ro HENRY HERMAN ,WEs'IINeIIoUsn or NEW Yoan, N. Y.

PNEUMATIC CONTROL nnvIcE.l

Application led August 9, 1909. Serial No. 511,853.

To allwho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, LELAND F. Goonsrnno, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Milwaukee, in the county of M.il.

self-propelled vehicles,'such as, for example,u

that disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 460,075, filed October 29, 1908.

The construction disclosed in the above l mentioned application contemplates the employment of a Series of clutch devices each adapted to control a speed gear mechanism,

such as a high, an intermediate and a low speed geara controlling device bemg provided, they movementof which 'to different positions is adapted to efl'ect Ithe operationV of a corresponding clutch device.

The main object of the present invention is to' provide "an 'improved pneumatically operated control device adapted to govern the movement to different positions of a controlling device of the above character.

Another object is to provide a pneumatic control device of this type having means for preventing operation to its different positions except in a predetermined order or sequence. l

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a central sectional view of an air operated control device, embodying my improvement; Fig. 2 a section taken on the line a-a of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the piston in engagement With the controlling member; Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view of the air operated control device connected up to a manually operated valve device for controlling the fluid pressure thereto; Fig. 5 a sectional view of a multiple clutch mechanism adapted to be-operated by the control device and showing the operating mechanism for t-Wo of the clutches; and Fig. 6 a sectional View of a portion of the clutch mechanism illus- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. .26, 1911.

trated in Fig. 5,.show1n mec 1- anism for the remaining clutch.

Accordin to the]y construct-ion shown in Fig. 1 of tie drawings, a casing 1 i'sprovided having a seriesof piston chambers 2, 3, 4, and 5 containing pistons 6, 7, 8, and 9 respectively, and journaled `in suitable bearings 10 in alinement with said pistons is a crank shaft 11 provided with a series of cranks 12, 13, 14, and 15, corresponding with the respective pistons 6, 7, 8, and 9 and set at different angles, as shown in Fig. 2.

A description of one piston mechanism' will suffice, as all are similarly constructed and accordingly, considering piston 6, as shown in Fig. 2, the iston stem 16 thereof is provided with a cross head 17 adapted to reciprocate between guide bearings 18 and 19 and having an inc ined face 20 extending in one direction from the center line of the piston and a second inclined face 21 extending inr the opposite direction. These inclined faces are adapted to engage the crank 12, and lit will be seen that if the crank12 is in a position at one side or the other of the centerline of the piston 6, the corresponding'inclined face willengage the crank 12 upon upward movement of the piston, thereby turning the crank shaft until the crank 12 is brought into alinement with the piston, as shown in Fig. 3;

By setting the cranks 12 to 15 inclusive to different angular positions, such as shown in Fig. 2, the operation of the pistons 6to 9 inclusive causes the crank shaft 11 to be turned to certain definite positions according pistons a manually operated valve device 22 may be provided, such as shown in Fig. 4,

the respective chambers-of pistons 6 to 9 in-v clusive having pipes 23, 24, 25, and 26 leading to the seat of the rotary valve 27 of the valve device 22. v l

The rotary valve 27 preferably has four positions in each of which one of the pipes leadingto the pisto s is supplied with fluid under pressure Whi 'e the other pipes are open to the atmosphere, forl instance, as-

shown in Fig. 4, the rotary valve 27 is shown in position with pipe 23 connected' to a through port 28, so that fluid is admitted to the piston 6, 'While a cavity 29 in the rotary valve at the same time connects the other pipes 24, 25, and 26 with an atmospheric particularly designed for the purpose of controlling the speed gear of a self-propelled vehicle, such as 'that shown in my application hereinbefore mentioned, and in Figs. '5

and 6 of the drawings a clutch mechanism mounted on sleeve 41 and is provided withal similar to that disclosed in this application is shown, comprising groups 3]., 32 and 33 of interleaving "disks mounted in a casing 34 secured to shaft 35. The alternate disks of v each group are provided respectively withlugs 36, 37, and 38 adapted to project into corresponding pockets formed in the casing 34, so that said alternate leaves or disks of each group are compelled to rotate with the casing 34 and shaft 35. The other disks of the groups 31, 32, and 33 are secured respectively to shaft 39, sleeve 40, and sleeve 41. A` slidable cam `sleeve 42 is cam surface 43 adapted to engage and operate-ingers 4 4, 45, and 46. These fingers are of such length'that upon outward movement of the cam sleeve 42, the fingers 46 first engage the cam surface 43, the fingers'45 upon a further movement, and the fingers 44 last. The rocking 0f fingers 46 by the cam surface 43 causest-he same to exert a pressure on plugs 47 which are adapted to transmit the pressure to the group of disks 33 so that the disks connected to sleeve 41 are frictionally driven by the disks of groups 33 which rotate with the casing 34.

Similarly, plugs 48 and 49 serve to transmit pressure to the groups of disks 32 and` 31 respectively and thereby operate the corresponding sleeve 40 and the shaft 39.

The cam sleeve 42 is provided with a ro tatably mounted ring 50 having pins 51 adapted to be engaged by the bifurcated end o'f a lever 52 mounted on the shaft 11. The position of parts shown in Fig. 5 is the off position, the piston 6 being operated to shift the. crank 12 for this position. By turning the rotary valve 27 to the position following that shownin Fig. 4, air is admitted to pipe 24, while the other pipes are connected to the atmosphere. The crank 13 is then shifted to aline with its piston 7 and the shaft 11 is turned anl .ters Patent, is

in for o erating the low speed gear. The interme iate speed gear is connected. up

in the next position of the rotary valve,

which admits air to .piston 8 and causes through the turning of shaft 11, the further movement of the cam sleeve 42 and the operation of clutch groups 32', while the high sure, but if desired, springs may be disposed within the piston cylinders to act on the pistons and assist the movement of same to their inactive positions. t

It will now `be apparent that with my invention the controlling device may be shifted t0 "different definite positions. It will also be noted that the inclined faces 20 are of limited extent with respect tothe cranks so that only a crank immediately succeeding one previously operated lcan be should be made to throw in the high gear, for instance, be'fore the intermediate or low gear, the corresponding crank would not be 1n a position near enough t0 the centerwline of the piston so that the inclined face could engage it. Thus means are provided to insure a gradual speeding up of the ve'- hicle so that possible injury to the high speed gear due to a sudden connection thereof ils prevented. The opposite inclined faces,however, extend out farther so that in the movement to. throw out the speed gear clutches the operating member or shaft actuated,4 and consequently if an attempt other purposes, such 'as multiple unit controll systems and t-he'like. y

Having no`w described my invention, whatvv YI'claim as new and desire to -secure by Let-y 1. An air operated control device comprisi' ing a movable controlling member having a plurality of operating positions, a plurality `of pistons each adapted to operatively engage Isaid -mcmber and each operated by fluidunder pressure for shifting said member -to one of its operating `positions independently of the other pistons.

2. .An air operated control device comprising a controlling member and pistons operated by Huid under pressure for shifting saidcontrolling member, one piston being. adapted to shift said controlling member to -member to a said clutch one position and another piston to another position and each piston operating independently of the other pistons.

3. In a self-propelled vehicle, the vcombination with a plurality of clutch devices for controlling the speed gear and a controlling member for operating said clutch devices, of a plurality of pistons each operated by fluid under pressure for shifting said controlling osition for throwing in one of/ evices the movement of each piston being limited by the position of the controlling member.

4. An air operated ing a shaft rovided with a cranks set at ifl'erent angles an of pistons, each operated by fluid'under pressure for engaging one of the cranks to thereby turn the shaft to one of a series of different predetermined positions. 4

5. An air operated control device compriscontrol device comprislurality of `ing a shaft provided with a crank and a piston operated by fluid under pressure and carrying inclined faces adapted to engage -said crank and thereby turn the Xshaft to a certain position'.

6. An air operated control device comprising a shaft providedwith a crank and a piston operated by fluid under pressure and carrying inclined faces adapted to engage said crank and turn sameu into a osition of alinement with the piston, thereby turning the shaft to a predetermined position.

7. In a'self-propelled vehicle, the combination with a clutch device adapted to be connected to a high, an intermediate, and ay low speed gear mechanism, and an operat- Ving device having an off position and three other positions in which a corresponding speed gear mechanism is 'adapted to be thrown in, of a plurality of pistons operated by fluid under pressure for shifting said `operating device to each of Vits respective positions. ,e

8. Ay pneumatic control device comprising a controlling member having a plurality of operating positions, a plurality of pne imatically operated pistons each adapted to shift said controlling member to one of its positions, andmeans for rendering theoperation of a piston ineffective unless the controlling member is in a predetermined position.`

9. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling member having a plurality of operating positions,n a plurality of pneumatically operated pistons each adapted to shift said controlling 'member to one of its positions, and means forll rendering the operation of a piston ineffective to shift the a plurality a my hand.

controlling member unless said controlling member is 1n a certair position.

10. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling member having a plurality of operating positions, a plurality of pneumatically operated pistons each adapted to shift said controlling member to one of its positions, and means for limiting the-o eration of the pistons to a predeterminc( sequence or order in one direction and for permitting theI operation in the opposite direction without regard to sequence.

' 11. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling shaft provided with a crank, a fluid pressure operated piston, and ahead operated by said piston and having an inclined face adapted to engage the crank for actuating the saine.

12..A pneumatic control device comprising a Acontrolling shaft provided with a crank, a fluid pressure operated piston, and

va head operated by said piston and havingA 1 oppositely inclined faces for engaging and thereby actuating said crank.

, 13. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling shaft provided with a crank, a fluid pressure operated piston, and a head operated by said pistn and liaving oppositely inclined faces for engaging said crank to effect the angular movement thereof in opposite directions, one inclined face being of greater extent than the other to per-' `mit the actuation of said crank through a greater angle.

14. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling shaft provided with a series of cranks disposed at.different angles, pneumatically operated pistons each provided with a head having an inclined face adapted to engage and operate one of saidl cranks, an inclined face of a head being adapted to operatively engage the corresponding crank only when within a certain range of movement.

15. A pneumatic control device comprising a controlling shaft provided with a series of cranks disposed at different angles, pneumatically operated pistons each providedwitli a head having an inclined face adapted to engage and operate one of said cranks, the inclined -face of each head being so limitedin extent as to prevent operation of the corresponding crank unless 'turned to a predetermined osition. v

In testimony w ereof I have hereunto set LELAND F. GOODSPEED.

llfitnesses: V A. M. CLEMEN'rs, WM. M. CADY. 

